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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25284340">The Counsel of a Trusted Friend</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/fembuck/pseuds/fembuck'>fembuck</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Nun's Nest [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Warrior Nun (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Awkward Conversations, Canon Lesbian Character, F/F, Female Friendship, Femslash</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 09:47:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,848</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25284340</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/fembuck/pseuds/fembuck</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Beatrice and Mary have a poolside chat.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sister Beatrice/Ava Silva</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Nun's Nest [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1824703</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>715</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Counsel of a Trusted Friend</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>***</p><p>Beatrice glanced up from the tablet she was using to monitor the halo’s energy levels as Ava trained with Lilith. Ava had displayed almost the full catalog of documented halo bearer abilities since receiving the halo, which was impressive for someone with absolutely no training previous to becoming the warrior nun. However, her use of the powers had mostly been instinctive and Ava needed to be able to access the abilities as naturally as she breathed for her to be truly effective in combat situations. </p><p>Ava had ‘crushed’ phasing by this point, so now they were focusing on helping her discover how to consciously access and control her other abilities - like the burst of kinetic energy that she had summoned in order to protect Beatrice from Crimson and her shotgun.</p><p>Beatrice’s eyes found Mary as she moved around the training circle, and she chewed on her lip thoughtfully as she considered the other woman. There was a part of her that wanted to approach Mary, but the thought of actually broaching the topic she wanted to discuss was … daunting.</p><p>Mary’s eyes met Beatrice’s from across the room, and Beatrice looked away quickly, focusing on the tablet in her hands once more in an attempt to appear like she hadn’t noticed she’d been caught staring. Again.</p><p>“Quit staring,” Mary said as a greeting as she approached Beatrice, leaving Ava and Lilith to their own devices for the moment. “Spit it out.” </p><p>Beatrice had been studying her all day, gazing at her like a lost little lamb, and she’d had enough of it.</p><p>Beatrice’s eyes widened and her back straightened, and for a moment, Mary thought she was really going to try and deny that there was anything on her mind. But in the end, Beatrice simply sighed, and said, “Okay. But not here.”</p><p>Mary nodded, and then they headed out of the operations area.</p><p>They settled outside of the house, in the backyard by the edge of the pool. Beatrice had rolled up her pants legs so that she could dangle her lower legs into the water (like Mary didn’t know a stalling tactic when she saw one), while Mary sat cross-legged beside her.</p><p>“It’s about this thing you’ve got going with Ava, right,” Mary said, realizing that Beatrice wasn’t going to actually start spitting it out without prompting.</p><p>Beatrice glanced over at her, her expression searching and guarded.</p><p>“I have eyes,” Mary continued, prodding Beatrice again. “You’re the definition of heart-eyes when you look at her when you think no one is watching,” she continued, matter-of-fact as ever. “And these days even when you know someone is.”</p><p>Beatrice sighed despondently, and Mary really tried to control the urge to laugh but only  partially succeeded.</p><p>“What’s the problem?” Mary asked, as Beatrice kicked at the water. “She is not the least bit subtle about how much she likes you,” she continued, noticing but not commenting on the spontaneous little smile that touched Beatrice’s lips upon hearing that. “Seems like the ideal situation to me.”</p><p>“You would think,” Beatrice muttered, looking down at her submerged feet.</p><p>“Well…” Mary prompted, considering pushing Beatrice in the pool if she continued stalling. “You’re smitten, she’s smitten, what’s not ideal?”</p><p>Beatrice looked over at her. Parted her lips to speak. Blushed. And then looked away again, not quite sure how to address the topic of her body’s … carnal response to Ava the night before. </p><p>She had made peace with the knowledge that her feelings for Ava had developed into a romantic form of love, and kissing Ava, lying with her, holding her, playing with her fingers, and tracing the contours of her face, all of these things had felt like a natural expression of the wonderment, warmth, and joy she felt with Ava. </p><p>The need that had taken possession of her at the end, however - raw, sexual, and literally throbbing - was more difficult for Beatrice to face, and accept. </p><p><em>Oh God</em>, Mary thought, realizing with horrifying clarity that with Father ‘On Borrowed Fucking Time, Trust That’ and Mother Superion not around, she was now the team's “Adult,” and that in this moment, that meant that she might be called upon to for real have ‘The Talk’ with Beatrice.</p><p>“Bea,” Mary began, feeling as hesitant as Beatrice looked. “Are you … experiencing, uh, mature … reactions, of a physical nature, that you’re not sure … how to handle?” Mary managed to choke out as she gazed at the surface of the gently rippling pool, making eye contact with Beatrice, just not in the realm of possibly.</p><p>Beatrice squeezed her eyes shut, looking absolutely mortified.</p><p>“I know how things … work, theoretically,” she breathed out, a touch defensively. “It’s just … I … these things are not something that I’ve felt the need to consider in relation to myself since taking my vows,” she admitted before pausing to think about how to proceed. “I know that you never did, take your vows that is, but Shannon had … yet the two of you, were still … very close?” Beatrice finished, her voice lifting at the end questioningly. </p><p>Despite the word soup that had just come out of Beatrice’s mouth, Mary had a pretty good idea what it was that Beatrice actually wanted to know.</p><p>“Just so there’s no confusion,” Mary started, Beatrice’s head tilting in her direction though she kept her eyes averted. “You want to know if Shannon and I were lovers?”</p><p>Beatrice nodded, finally lifting her eyes to meet Mary’s.</p><p>“Isn’t it a bit late to be asking about that?” Mary questioned, arching an eyebrow at Beatrice. “I saw Ava slipping out of your room this morning,” she added when Beatrice looked at her questioningly.</p><p>“We haven’t…” Beatrice stuttered immediately, her eyes widening as she looked at Mary. “We just slept.”</p><p>“So, Ava’s got a scarf tied around her neck this morning because...?” Mary asked knowingly, completely anticipating the blush that spread across Beatrice’s face and neck at being called out.</p><p>Beatrice opened and closed her mouth a few times before finally settling on, “We’ve kissed,” though she knew technically they had done somewhat more than that. The evidence of that had been very visible on Ava’s throat when they awoke that morning. </p><p>Mary looked over at her, unconvinced.</p><p>“It felt … good. I may have, briefly, lost myself in the moment,” Beatrice muttered, avoiding Mary’s eyes as her cheeks flushed again, acknowledging that Ava had a scarf looped around her neck for the reason Mary implied she did. “But we haven’t, you know, had...” Beatrice made a vague gesture with her hand. “Relations,” she finished, the last word coming out whisper soft.</p><p>“You want to though,” Mary stated knowingly.</p><p>Beatrice sighed, and then nodded.</p><p>Mary was quiet for a moment as she thought about how to best address the subject.</p><p>“How does she make you feel?” Mary asked.</p><p>Beatrice’s lips instinctively curved up into a smile when she thought about the answer to Mary’s question, and it was so legitimately adorable that Mary smiled a little too.</p><p>“Unbound,” Beatrice whispered. “Unburdened,” she continued, remembering Warrior Nun Melanie’s words and feeling them in her soul just as deeply as she had the first time she had read them. “Finally … myself. My authentic self.”</p><p>“Then you already have your answer,” Mary told her gently. “You don’t need my permission, or Shannon’s, or anyone else’s…”</p><p>“Well, Ava’s,” Beatrice pointed out, and Mary released a puff of laughter before shaking her head.</p><p>“Oh, you got jokes now, huh?” Mary noted. “Okay,” she drawled, smiling when Beatrice chuckled.  </p><p>It was Ava’s influence, of that, Mary had no doubt. And she was very glad to see how that influence had helped Beatrice begin to open up emotionally, letting those around her see more of her authentic self.</p><p>“Alright,” Mary continued, her voice serious as she met Beatrice’s eyes a moment later.  “Real talk. Love is a beautiful thing. In its different forms and expressions. Shannon believed that as strongly as she had faith that the path she walked was God’s will. That will, that path, it led her love. It led her to me.” Mary’s voice was shaky, and she paused for a moment, blinking a few times to try and hold back the tears she could feel building in her eyes. “Shannon felt Him in her soul and nothing could make her doubt His love, or the beauty of the feelings He placed inside of us for each other, or how we expressed that love.” Mary looked at Beatrice keenly. “Do you doubt?”</p><p>Beatrice closed her eyes, and breathed in and out deeply, focusing on the warmth of the sun on her face, the cool water lapping against her legs, and the rustling leaves of the trees that surrounded the property. </p><p><em>You make known to me the path of life</em>, she thought, opening herself up body and soul to His will.</p><p>She thought of Ava and all of the feelings Ava had revived and made blossom inside of her, and in her soul she knew that those feelings were beautiful. </p><p>It had never been God that made her hate herself. It had been the poisonous teachings, prejudices, and hatefulness of man that had done that. It was the small, twisted hearts of people that had caused her to spend so much time in denial and shame. From God, there was - and only ever had been - love.</p><p>“I did,” Beatrice admitted, exhaling roughly. “As much as I tried not to. I shall not anymore,” she continued, smiling a little as she reached out and placed her hand on Mary’s thigh. “Thank you.” Her words were simple, but there was no mistaking the truth of the depth of the emotion in her voice. </p><p>“You already knew,” Mary said.</p><p>“Maybe,” Beatrice acknowledged. “But, sometimes it takes the counsel of a trusted friend to help one truly understand what one knows,” she continued, a small, grateful smile pulling up the corners of her lips as she glanced over at Mary.</p><p>Mary covered Beatrice’s hand with her own and squeezed it supportively, acknowledging Beatrice’s words.</p><p>“Come on,” she said a moment later, standing up. “We’ve left them unsupervised for too long.” </p><p>From her standing position, Mary extended her hand down to Beatrice.</p><p>Beatrice accepted the offered hand, and allowed Mary to help her to her feet, settling on them just as Camila came rushing out of the sliding doors that led to the backyard.</p><p>“Help!” she squeaked, glancing behind her towards the interior of The Nun’s Nest. “Now,” she continued, turning to face Mary and Beatrice again.  “Please.”</p><p>“Told ya’,” Mary declared, slapping Beatrice on the back before she began to walk towards the house.</p><p>“How bad is it?” Beatrice asked, approaching Camila and the house at a more leisurely pace.</p><p>“Ava invented a training game,” Camila told her.</p><p>“Oh no,” Beatrice exhaled, immediately looking as worried as Camila sounded.</p><p>In response, Camila nodded vigorously so that Beatrice would know that ‘Oh no’ was definitely the right response.</p><p>“Come on,” Beatrice sighed, quickening her pace.</p><p>She really hoped they hadn’t caused any structural damage.</p><p> </p><p>The End</p><p>To be continued in Part 5!</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>To start off my rambling, I just have to say, once again ... THANK YOU SO MUCH for taking the time to comment on the story. It is such a great motivator to continue writing. Each and everyone puts a smile on my face, and is one of the reasons this series has been so emotionally rewarding to write!</p><p>No Ava this time around, but she'll be back in Part 5!</p><p>Thank you so much reading! I hope you enjoyed the update. And, as always, comments are welcome and greatly appreciated :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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